Creating Savvy Financial Consumers at an Early Age

As a company that helps millions of people achieve their financial goals, the Principal Financial Group® understands the importance of financial literacy. We believe that creating savvy financial consumers requires starting early — in childhood.

That’s why we help educate kids on a variety of financial topics. In the 2011-2012 school year, for instance, nearly 1,200 high school students in the Des Moines area went through the Iowa Financial Literacy Program. The program is financially supported by The Principal and powered by EverFi - Financial LiteracyTM.

“The Principal is a proud supporter of this program. Our opportunity to sponsor this program is probably as close to a no-brainer a CEO can ever have,” says Larry Zimpleman, chairman, president and CEO of The Principal®. “We believe that we are in an era of personal responsibility, and we can no longer rely on government for financial security, or employers. Each one of us has to do the right thing, be prepared and educated to make sure we and our families have financial security.”

EverFi helps prepare young people to make smart financial decisions.

Bringing Financial Concepts to Life

The EverFi program brings complex financial concepts to life, helping students develop the skills and knowledge to make informed and effective personal finance decisions.

Larry Zimpleman, chairman, president and CEO of The Principal, helps children understand the importance of making informed financial decisions.

Students complete a 10-unit course that includes six hours of programming aimed at teaching, assessing and certifying students in a variety of financial topics. These include:

Savings

Credit scores

Taxes and insurance

Banking

Paying for college

Consumer fraud

Payment types

Renting vs. owning

Investing

Sponsored statewide by the Iowa College Student Aid Commission, and in Greater Des Moines by The Principal®, and supported by the Iowa Bankers Association, this web-based program uses the latest in new media technologies — video, animations, 3-D gaming, avatars and social networking — to bring complex financial concepts to life for today’s digital generation.

Education is the first step
We are a proud supporter of financial literacy programs across Greater Des Moines, especially the Iowa Financial Literacy Program. Americans' ability to build a secure future for themselves and their families requires the navigation of an increasingly complex financial system. It is more important than ever to arm young people with the skills to make sound financial decisions. We must all follow the example of these students and educate ourselves.

We’ll continue to partner with Iowa College Aid as they make this interactive financial management program available across the state. We hope to continue to expand this program to more schools in the coming years to help prepare more young people for the future.